The DC Modern Quilt Guild participates in several ways to give back to the community. Quilts have been donated for many years, totaling 199 in 2022 and 177 in 2023. For the last few years we have worked with the Greater DC Diaper Bank and Inova FACT, two great organizations based in the DC area.
The Greater DC Diaper Bank provides struggling families and new moms with baby and toddler essentials. Through their Nursery Program, DC Diaper Bank believes that all babies should have what they need for safe sleep, safe travel, and safe play. Our quilts are part of the bags provided to new families.
Inova Ewing Forensic Assessment and Consultation Teams address the unique needs of abused children and adults. They offer expert medical evaluation, forensic evidence collection, and provide expert interpretation based on training, experience and medical data. They provide care for patients who have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual assault and abuse, and strangulation. Quilts are a favorite item of patients as they are able to keep warm and seek comfort.
We also support Kennel Quilts which provides quilts for animal shelters and rescue organizations
How to Donate: Bring your quilts to any meeting. If you cannot make it to a meeting, email dcmqgcharity@gmail.com and we will help arrange a drop-off point.
Check out our free resources for ideas on patterns, binding and quilting!
Preferred Size:
Quilts destined for the Diaper Bank should be from 30” x 30” up to 50” x 50”.
Inova Ewing FACT will accept larger sized quilts.
Quilts for Kennel Quilts should be 12” x 18”, and should be 100% cotton (no flannel). Quilts should not be bound. For more guidelines on kennel quilts, please see their website.
Fabrics: Anything that you would use for others that you love! See specific guidelines for kennel quilts on their website
DCMQG offers fabric bundles to guild members 2 to 3 times a year. These are announced on Instagram and are provided on a first come-first serve basis to be used for charity quilts. Make sure you follow @dcmqg to see when these are available.
Batting: For 2024, the guild has purchased batting to be used for charity quilts. These will be available upon request to dcmqgcharity@gmail.com.
Otherwise, anything you have is great! Many quilters create frankenbatting by zigzagging together smaller pieces to create the needed size.
Binding: A strong machine binding is great. A favorite is Susie’s Magic Binding Tutorial.
Also check out member Lisa’s tips!
Labels: DCMQG has two kinds of labels and either one should be attached to the back of charity quilts. We have cloth labels that can be pieced or attached to the back and small tag label that can be added while you bind your quilt. If you use the small tag labels, peel the back, fold them and then attach when binding. Labels are available at meetings or can be mailed to you by contacting dcmqgcharity@gmail.com. You can check label suggestions from our members at https://dcmodernquiltguild.com/quilt-labels.
Washing: Please wash your quilt prior to donating. This prevents them from bleeding (use color catchers if you have them), removes allergens, and also gives you time to fix any stitching that needs reinforcement. If you cannot wash it, please tag it as unwashed so that it can get washed before being donated.
If you finished and delivered a charity quilt to DCMQG, please send a note and a picture to dcmqgcharity@gmail.com or post a picture on Instagram with #dcmqgcharity so we can keep track.
Have a quilt that needs finishing or a question? Contact us.
Many quilters have a favorite step in the process. If you have a top pieced, someone else may want to quilt it, and another person may help with the binding. If you can’t make a completed quilt or need supplies, just let your guildmates know and we’ll find someone to take over.